Jahdan Blakkamoore performs “The General” from his album Buzzrock Warrior with DJ/producer Shadetek at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly, 10-24-2009. Visit thirteen.org/nyontheclock to watch an interview with Jahdan and other New Yorkers.

What made America? What makes us? These two questions are at the heart of the new series Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Building on the success of his series African American Lives and African American Lives 2, Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. again turns to the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans. The series premieres on THIRTEEN Wednesdays, February 10 – March 3 at 8 p.m. Ask your own questions of Professor Gates on the PBS website.

Q. What makes FACES OF AMERICA so special?

Gates: After my work on the African American Lives series, I got thousands of letters from people all over America saying, “Why not do my history?” So, I decided to do the same kind of analysis and research on people of Irish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and other ethnicities, and the results are just as dramatic as in African American Lives. All of the guests on FACES OF AMERICA were deeply moved by what we revealed about their ancestry. We were able to trace the ancestry of Native American writer Louise Erdrich back to 438 A.D. We found that Queen Noor is descended from royalty, and that’s before she married King Hussein of Jordan. We found that the African American poet Elizabeth Alexander is related to the emperor Charlemagne!

We went even further and used DNA analysis to look for “deep cousins” — common ancestors among our guests — and we found genetic connections between eleven of our twelve guests. I found that despite all our apparent differences in terms of culture and history, we are all the same. Read More …

From the iconic exchanges between Katie Couric and Sarah Palin – to the dramatic story of one of the army’s most successful recruiters – to a local news team uncovering an underworld of prescription drugs, the 2010 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards once again honor the best in broadcast journalism. Host Maria Hinojosa goes behind-the-scenes with award-winning reporters and producers to examine how their stories came to be and why they continue to be impactful.

The 2010 awards also bring a number of highlights: for the first time, Katie Couric goes on the record about her memorable interviews with Sarah Palin. In addition, six local television stations were awarded the silver baton – the highest number of local reports to win in more than two decades. And 2010 is the first year in which the duPont Awards recognized a web-based production – in the form of Jonathan Togovnick’s multimedia effort that tells the harrowing stories of rape survivors from the Rwandan genocide.

Watch TELLING THE TRUTH – THE BEST IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM – an insightful look into the work of reporters and producers as they uncover injustice and chase down important stories.

Celebrate Black history throughout the month of February with THIRTEEN.

Tuesday, February 2

10:30pm

Independent Lens
“Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness” examines the forgotten legacy of Melville Herskovits, a controversial Jewish anthropologist whose writings challenged widely held assumptions about race and culture. Premieres Tuesday, 2/2 at 10:30pm. Read more…

Wednesday, February 3

3am

NOVA “Forgotten Genius”
“Forgotten Genius” is a fascinating and largely unknown story of scientific triumph and racial inequality. It covers the extraordinary life journey of Percy Julian, one of the great chemists of the 20th century.

8pm

A Ripple of Hope
“A Ripple of Hope” captures one poignant day in the life of Robert Kennedy. The film explores Kennedy’s little-known act of personal courage and responsibility the day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated — April 4, 1968. The film dramatically retells the events of that tragic day 40 years ago through the eyes of those who were there.

Read More …

As public television celebrates the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street this year, Barack Obama delivered a special message about the impact of Sesame Street on all our lives. “There are many adults who could stand to learn again the lessons that Sesame Street offers: lessons of compassion, and kindness and respect for our differences. The world is a better place for the world you create on Sesame Street — a world that enriches our children’s minds and hearts each and every day,” he said. Watch the full speech below, and watch Sesame Street every week from Sunday – Friday at 7am on THIRTEEN.

Tonight, President Obama delivers his first official State of the Union Address from Capitol Hill. The PBS NewsHour will offer special live coverage of the speech, including the Republican response and analysis of Mark Shields and David Brooks. Come back here at 9pm to watch the speech online.

Tonight at 9:30pm on THIRTEEN, Martin Savidge hosts a special edition of Metrofocus focused on how New Yorkers are rallying to help those affected by last week’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Savidge speaks with Marcel Toussaint, President of the organization Haitian Orphans Wish; Siobhan Walsh, Executive Director of Concern Worldwide; and Fatima Shama, NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs.

Watch the full program now.

If you want to help, below is a list of relief organizations.

AMERICAN RED CROSS
Text “HAITI” to “90999″ to make a $10 donation.
2025 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
(800) REDCROSS (733-2767)

AMERICARES
88 Hamilton Avenue
Stamford, Conn. 06902
(800) 486-4357

CARE
151 Ellis Street
Atlanta, Ga. 30303
(800) 521-CARE (521-2273)

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA/MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (MSF)
333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001-5004
(888) 392-0392

INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES
P.O. Box 630225
Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225
(877) 803-4622

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
122 E. 42nd Street
New York, NY 10168
(877) REFUGEE (733-8433)

MERCY CORPS
Dept. W
P.O. Box 2669
Portland, Ore., 97208-2669
(888) 256-1900

OXFAM AMERICA
226 Causeway St., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206
(800) 77-OXFAM (776-9326)

PARTNERS IN HEALTH
P.O. Box 845578
Boston, MA 02284-5578
(617) 432-5256

THE SALVATION ARMY
615 Slaters Lane
P.O. Box 269
Alexandria, VA 22313

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Haiti Earthquake Children in Emergency Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, Conn. 06880
(800) 728-3843

WORLD VISION
Haiti Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, Wash. 98063-9716
(888) 511-6548

U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF
125 Maiden Lane
New York, N.Y. 10038
(800) FOR-KIDS (367-5437)

CONCERN WORLDWIDE US
104 E. 40th St., # 903
New York, NY 10016
(212) 557-8000
(800) 59-CONCERN

THIRTEEN’s sister station WLIW21 will air “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” this Friday, January 22 from 8 – 10 p.m.

Watch a preview:
(View full post to see video)

The Caribbean island nation of Haiti was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, January 12, along with a 6.1 aftershock the following day. In response, some of the biggest stars in music and entertainment will be participating in a global telethon to raise money for earthquake relief. “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” will feature performances by Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in London. See the performers. All musical performances will be available for purchase through the Apple® iTunes® Store beginning Saturday, January 23, with all proceeds benefiting Haiti relief funds managed by “Hope for Haiti Now” charities, including Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Yéle Haiti Foundation. Learn more about how you can help.

In addition to musical performances, “Hope for Haiti Now” will feature more than one hundred of the biggest names in film, television, and music supporting the cause with testimonials and by answering phones during the telethon. Haitian singer Wyclef Jean anchors the telethon from New York City, George Clooney from Los Angeles, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper from Haiti.

Additionally, WNET.ORG stations THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and WLIW World will air “Metrofocus Special: New York Reacts to Haiti”:
Thursday, January 21 at 9:30 p.m. on THIRTEEN
Friday, January 22 at 1 p.m. on WLIW World
Saturday, January 23 at 9 a.m. on THIRTEEN
Sunday, January 24 at 5 p.m. on WLIW World
Sunday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m. on WLIW21

Guests will offer insight and perspective on crisis in Haiti, including:
Marcel Toussain, President of the organization Haitian Orphans Wish
Siobhan Walsh, Executive Director of Concern Worldwide
Fatima Shama, NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs

On Monday, January 18th, America reflects on the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In an interview with Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, six prominent African American ministers remember the life and death of Dr. King and describe his influence on their lives, their ministries, and society at large. The ministers featured in this video are: Rev. James Forbes (Healing of the Nations Foundation), Prof. Cheryl Sanders (Howard University Divinity School), Rev. Otis Moss III (Trinity United Church of Christ), Rev. Lennox Yearwood (Hip Hop Caucus), Rev. Harry Jackson (Hope Christian Church) and Rev. Jeremiah Wright (Trinity United Church of Christ).

On the Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly website, managing editor Kim Lawton talks with Cheryl Sanders, professor of Christian ethics at Howard Divinity School, about how the civil rights leader’s teachings about war and nonviolence apply today.

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly airs Saturdays at 10:30am and Sundays at 6:30pm on WLIW21.

“Copyright Criminals” premieres Tuesday, January 19 at 10pm on THIRTEEN

Long before everyday people began posting their video mash-ups online, hip-hop musicians perfected the art of audio montage through a sport they called “sampling.” “Copyright Criminals,” a documentary by Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod, examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, and the ongoing debate about artistic expression. The film features hip-hop legends like Chuck D, De La Soul, DJ Spooky, Pete Rock, Mix Master Mike, and more. Inside THIRTEEN spoke with Franzen and McLeod about sampling, hip-hop, copyright law and (of course!) money.

Q. Hip-hop music – especially in its early days – uses sampling as part of the musical composition. How has hip-hop changed or adapted since lawyers and record companies began cracking down on sampling?

Hip-hop artists had to stop making dense audio collages with multiple fragments of sound because it is economically prohibitive to do so. If you sample five songs, you have to negotiate with multiple copyright holders, which can become prohibitively expensive. This is one reason why so much hip-hop these days are made with synthesizers and no samples—or they are just made with one prominent, obvious sample.

Q. One of the biggest knocks against hip-hop music is the use of sampling. Do you think that hip-hop can be considered a legitimate, original form of music if it depends on sampling?

Yes, sampling Bo Diddley’s drum beat or a bluesy Led Zeppelin riff is different than replaying it on a traditional instrument, but these two practices are more similar than not. Just as it’s easy to be unoriginal when using a digital sampler, the same is also true for a guitarist who is copying someone else’s riff. It’s how you play it, not the instrument itself. For instance, Public Enemy and their peers typically sampled many short audio fragments, transforming them in the process. It’s hard to credibly claim that these uses are competing with the originals in the marketplace, which is what copyright law is supposed to protect against.
Read More …